Michael Deacon watches David Cameron and Ed Miliband misunderstand each other
at PMQs, as the two clash over the Prime Minister's EU referendum.

OK, fair enough: it does get pretty noisy at PMQs. Especially today: Conservative MPs, delirious with joy after the referendum speech, cheered when David Cameron entered the chamber, when the Speaker announced the start of PMQs, when Mr Cameron rose to speak, and whenever he said anything at all about Europe.

But even allowing for all that din, you couldn’t help wondering whether Ed Miliband and Mr Cameron were actually listening to each other today. Their exchanges were a writhing tangle of cross-purposes and misunderstandings. Forget two bald men fighting over a comb: this was two deaf men fighting over an iPod.

In condensed form, the exchanges went as follows.

Miliband: “Can the Prime Minister guarantee that he’ll campaign to stay in the EU?”